12 Complexion Wrecking Skincare Mistakes You May Be Making

Optimizing life is about stepping out into the world with confidence and vibrancy -and your skin (your body’s largest organ) is an indicator of overall health. First and foremost, we want you to look and feel your very best! Taking care of your skin is one of the first steps. Here’s our guide to skincare mistakes that may be wreaking havoc on the health of your skin.

Scrubbing too much

If you’re a beauty product junkie like us, curiosity can certainly kill the cat. Especially when it comes to scrubs, at-home microdermabrasion creams, and other exfoliators. Once you try one and see how vibrant and amazing your skin looks, it can be tempting to scrub more and more everyday. However, this is a big mistake and will lead to irritation and a bumpy skin texture long term! So if you’re exfoliating more than 3 times per week and experiencing skin problems, you may need to reduce exfoliating to no more than 3 times a week. If your skin is especially irritated, take a break from exfoliants all together.

Wearing a full face of foundation

Foundation should never be worn like a mask, even if you suffer from acne. The best way to deal with blemishes is to spot conceal the problem areas and apply a light hand of foundation on the areas that may need it, such as around the nose. Dust with a light powder to set. When it comes to foundation, it’s best to let as much as your natural skin shine through and to only conceal obvious blemishes. Not only is it more natural looking but your skin will be able to breathe.

Picking Blemishes with Your Fingers

Most pimples, blackheads and clogged pores are very difficult to remove with your fingers and often lead to scarring. Our first recommendation is to go to a pro to get extractions. However, we get it, you want to get those suckers out and relieve the pore at home, but there’s a better way to do it if you absolutely can’t leave your skin alone! Get a looped skincare tool. Take a nice steamy shower to soften up the blemish and use the tool to apply light pressure and expel the clog. If you’re unable to remove with light pressure, stop. Any blemish that isn’t coming out after being steamed and lightly pressured is not ready. Apply 100% pure aloe vera gel (unscented) afterward to relieve any redness.

Not Washing Twice a Day

We’re yet to meet anyone who has such perfect skin that they never wash it. Removing dirt, makeup, and other environmental toxins requires thorough cleansing, even if you have great skin. It may look great now, but if you neglect your skin over time, it may become dull and less vibrant. So always make a point to thoroughly remove makeup every night and to use a gentle cleanser in the morning. Your skin will thank you long term!

Using Harsh Products

As women we’re constantly on product overload. There’s always something new and amazing filled with all sorts of promises. It can be easy to buy into the hype and load our faces with chemical-heavy products. This often does more harm than good. When it comes to skincare, the more gentle and natural, the better. If you’re suffering from skin problems, you may need to look no further than your skincare regimen. Are you using too many heavy BHAS, AHAs, acids, sunscreens, magic potions, serums, elixirs etc? Too many products used too often can do more harm than good. Try to stop using so many products and see if you skin clears. Then slowly introduce products back into your regimen to find out which one is irritating your skin.

Tanning/Sun Exposure

We don’t really need to explain this one. Everyone knows the sun is terrible for your skin. Wear a hat, stay under an umbrella, load up on sunscreen -whatever you do, limit sun exposure. And if you really want that golden tan, at the very least, keep your face and neck out of the sun all together!

Not Using Eye cream

Eye cream is probably the most essential skincare product there is. Due to its thinness, skin around the eyes ages much faster than the rest of your face so it’s essential to use eye cream, start young and use it twice a day! Even if you use no other products, use an eye cream.

Not Getting Regular Facials

Facials can get pricy but they truly do keep your skin in better condition long term. Especially if you suffer from clogged pores and oily skin. Even if you can only go once every 8 weeks, get facials. If facials are out of your price range, get an at-home mask and use it once a week to help keep your skin vibrant. A good mud mask can do wonders in 20 minutes! If you need a great recommendation for face masks for your skin type, check out our guide: The Best Facial Masks for Your Skin Type

Drinking Too Much Alcohol/Coffee/Soda etc.

Self-explanatory. Alcohol, coffee, and soda all dehydrate skin. One of the biggest factors in aging is dehydrated skin, so it’s a no brainer. We love our morning coffee too, but the key is moderation. Limit yourself to one cup a day and counter it with tons of water. Which brings us to….

Not Drinking Enough Water

You hear all the time because it’s true. While there are mixed reviews on exactly how many glasses of water to drink per day (some say 6-8 8 oz. glasses others say non-sense!), the important point is to stay hydrated with water rather than soft drinks, sugary fruit juices etc. Instead of reaching for a soda, opt for water.

Neglecting Your Neck & Décolleté

This area is so easy to neglect yet is one of the first areas to show age. Treat your neck and décolleté with the same respect as your face. Keep it out of the sun and moisturize often and thoroughly.

Neglecting Your Hands

Here’s another area we forget about. Hands also show age even when your face doesn’t. Be sure to use sunscreen on them and moisturize daily.

Desiree Rabuse is a social entrepreneur and Founder & Editor-in-Chief of StyleFox® Media. She’s been in the entertainment/media business for over a decade, working both in front of and behind the camera. She loves traveling, martial arts, philosophy, coffee, and helping people lead healthy, happy, more efficient lives.

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StyleFox® creates mindful, life-optimizing media for women. From fashion and beauty to fitness and food, we're here to help you lead a healthier, more enjoyable life. Our other sites include Design+Digs and GlobeGal.